 BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer Baton Rouge lawyer John Carmouche has led a statewide fight to make the energy industry pay for damage to coastal wetlands. He is now squaring off against oil companies in a Plaquemines Parish courtroom in the first of more than three dozen landmark lawsuits to go to trial. Carmouche’s team is asking for more than $3 billion in damages from Chevron in the trial that's now underway. If the parish prevails, the resulting damages and required coastal reconstruction would likely serve as a model for the 40 additional lawsuits Carmouche has filed on behalf of Plaquemines and five other coastal parishes — which could reach into the billions of dollars. Read more about the trial's possible ramifications.
The red-brick Pentagon Barracks offer state lawmakers a chance to pay cheap rent while living a stone’s throw from the Capitol in Baton Rouge. The apartments do have some negative aspects: some of the ground-floor units flood during heavy rains, frequent leaks damage walls and ceilings throughout the complex, and old pipes have been know to burst. House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, who is currently in charge of parceling out the apartments to representatives, is exploring possible renovations to the complex, as well as adding a fifth side to the current four-side "pentagon." Read what the plan could mean for taxpayers.
As some Christians follow tradition by abstaining from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, many churches offer Lent-friendly dinners during the 40-day period, which ends Thursday, April 17. Here's a list of 12 local churches hosting fish fry Fridays. | 
